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115^
yX^^^^
HARVARD
COLLF^
LIB"
i
THE EARLY HISTORY
of the
TYPEWRITER
By
CHAS. E. WELLER
Secretary National Shorthand
Reporters' Association
LA PORTE. INDIANA
CHASK S SHEPHERD, PRINTERS
"W '!
? )
Copyright 1918
BY Charles E. Weller
CHRISTOPHER LATHAM SHOLES
"The Father of the Typewriter"
Horn Feb. 14, 1819— Died Feb. 17, 1890.
PREFACE
The history of invention is always an in-
teresting subject, dealing as it does more
directly with the philanthropic and humane
phase of character. Millionaire merchants,
manufacturers and captains of industry
who have sprung up during the past half
century have accumulated their collossal
wealth through their ability to make the
best use of the material which nature has
so lavishly bestowed; and yet how litHc
could they have accomplished without the
aid of the thousands of useful appliances
from the least to the greatest which have
entered all fields of industry in this wonder-
ful age of invention.
It is to the patient toil of the inventor
who in his laboratory or workshop has em-
bodied the product of his brain in the per-
fection of a mechanism which has inured to
the benefit and happiness of mankind that
the world owes its greatest debt of grat-
itude and honor.
5
6 THE EARLY HISTORY
In following this simple narrative of the
inception and development of the first prac-
tical typewriter the reader is asked to put
aside all thoughts of the many excellent
typewriting machines that flood the market
today, each with its own claim of peculiar
excellence over its competitor, while we re-
vert back to a half century, when nothing
existed to replace the painfully slow and
tedious method of reducing thought to writ-
ing ])y means of pen and ink, and follow the
details of the creation and development of
a mechanism, crude and cumbrous in its
first workings, but destined in time to cre-
ate a revolution in the conduct of affairs in
all parts of the civilized world.
The narrative grows out of the recollec-
tion of one who is the only person
now living of those who composed the little
group who watched the construction of the
first typewriter from its first inception to
its successful completion in the little ma-
chine shop in the city of Milwaukee during
the late summer and fall of 1867.
OF THE TYPEWRITER
THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE
TYPEWRITER
(From a paper read at the Tenth Annual Conven-
tion of the National Shorthand Reporters' Asso-
ciation.)
Sometime during the month of July, 1867,
while employed as chief operator in the
office of the Western Union Telegraph
Company in the city of Milwaukee, Wis.,
Mr. C. Latham Sholes, whom I had known
for some years, called at the office and
asked for a sheet of carbon paper, some-
thing which was rarely used in those days,
except in making duplicate copies of Asso-
ciated Press reports received by telegraph
for the daily press.
Upon complying with his request he cas-
ually remarked that if I would call at his
office the next day at about noon he would
show me something that he thought wDutd
be interesting. Knowing that Mr. Slides
8 THE EARLY HISTORY
possessed a remarkable inventive genius,
having been the first to conceive of the
method of addressing newspapers by print-
ing the names of subscribers on the mar-
gin, and having later invented a machine
for paging blank books and the consecutive
numbering of bank notes, I was prepared
for an exhibition of something novel in this
instance. Upon calling at his office the next
day in the Federal building where he then
occupied the government position of Col-
lector of the Port of Milwaukee, I found
him in company with a gentleman explain-
ing a little piece of mechanism on tlie to-
ble before them, the base of which consist-
ed of a piece of pine board, above which,
supported by wooden pegs was a ring rude-
ly fashioned out of wood with a jack knife,
on the edge of which was set four other
pegs supporting a circular piece of glass;
on the side of the ring was pivoted a small
brass bar about two inches in length, on the
upper end of which was cut the letter "w."
Beneath this bar and on the wooden base
was affixed an ordinary Morse telegraph
"key" arranged in such manner that by
OF THE TYPEWRITER 9
striking the round button end of the key a
smart tap with the finger the type bar was
quickly thrown up against the circular piece
of glass above, striking it exactly in the
center. By holding a piece of carbon pa-
per with a thin piece of white paper against
the piece of glass and moving it slowly
with one hand while the key was being
struck rapidly with the other hand, a regu-
lar and perfect line of w's was produced
similar to this:
wwwwwwwwwwwwww
10 THE EARLY HISTORY
I have since prepared a model of tin's
little device which is here shown, and is a
reproduction as near as
The First Model it could be made in the
absence of the origi-
nal.
If you will bear in mind that at that tin.'.^
we had never known of printing by any
other method than the slow process of set-
ting the types and getting an impression
therefrom by means of a press, you may
imagine our surprise at the facility with
which this one letter of the alphabet could
be printed by the manipulation of the key.
But while the printing of one letter in this
manner was very clearly demonstrated, it
was not easy to understand how the prin-
ciple could be extended to printing words
arranged in regular lines, which Mr. Sholes
stated could be done, and then proceeded
to explain the method. He explained to us
that a number of brass bars would be made
similar to the one before us, each bar hav-
ing a letter of the alphabet cut on the end
OF THE TYPEWRITER 11
at a slight angle, and striking upwards at a
common center in such manner that one
letter would follow the other as the keys
were struck, in regular order and align-
ment. In order to accomplish this he pro-
posed to construct a metal rim or disk with
a circular aperture; around this metal rim
would be cut a series of slots corresponding
to the number of characters to be used, into
which would be pivoted the type bars in
such manner that each type bar would
move freely up and down in its particular
12 THE EARLY HISTORY
slot. This metal rim with the type bars
thus fastened in the slots was to be firmly
fastened inside of a circular aperture to be
cut in the center of a small table, the aper-
ture to be slightly larger than the metal
rim, to allow free play for the wires con-
necting with the keys, the typebars to be
held in place by a large wire running
around the inside of the rim, and at the butt
end of the type bars and back of the hole
through which the wire ran attaching them
to the slot would be drilled another hole
connecting the type bar with the key. The
front of the small table was to be cut out
sufficiently to allow a little key-board to be
placed, similar to the key-board of a small
melodeon. The wire connected with the
end of each key would run down to a small
wooden trivet which worked on a rod, sim-
ilar to the rod connected with the treadle
of a sewing machine. On the opposite end
of each trivet would be attached another
wire reaching up to the end of the type bar,
so that when a key was depressed the wire
attached to it would raise one end of the
trivet, and at the same time pull down the
OF THE TYPEWRITER 13
wire attached to the other end and con-
necting with the type bar above and throw
it up against the paper, producing an im-
pression of the letter by means of an inked
ribbon passing above the paper.
In order to furnish a base or platen
against which the letters would strike it
was proposed to affix a metal arm firmly at-
tached to the back of the table and curving
over to the center of the aperture constitut-
ing the common center at which each letter
would strike; the inked ribbon which passed
between the paper and the platen would be
wound and unwound upon spools at each
end of the table, the spools being connected
with the key movement in such manner that
with each stroke of the key a fresh surface
would be exposed for the printing of the
next letter. The paper which was to move
simultaneously with the ribbon was to be
enclosed in a flat metal frame, clamped at
each corner, and moving the space of a let-
ter with each stroke of the key. The paper
carriage was to be affixed to a ratchet, a
steel bar at the back of the table in which
teeth were cut at equal distances apart, in
14 THE EARLY HISTORY
which played the little escapement dog con-
nected with the keys by means of a univer-
sal bar, thus making the necessary space
for each letter as it moved back and forth
with each stroke of the key, while a blank
key served as a space key when struck be-
tween each word. The motive power con-
trolling the movement of the paper frame
and ribbon was an ordinary clock-work
mechanism, a drum around which passed a
cord to which was attached a leaden weight,
to be wound up at intervals as it ran down.
A little bell at the end of the ratchet would
give the signal for changing the line, which
was done by pressing the foot on a treadle
at the right, connected by a cord with the
paper frame, which movement would bring
the frame back to the starting point and at >
the same time automatically changing the
line.
I have endeavored in a crude way to de-
scribe the general operation of the machine
as it was explained to us by the inventor
at that time. With my extremely limited
knowledge of mechanics and the technical
terms used in connection with such matters
OF THE TYPEWRITER 15
I have not been able to make it as plain as
I would like to do. In order to convey a
better idea of the various parts entering in-
to the first machine that w^as constructed I
take the liberty of quoting from the patent
some of the chief claims under which it was
issued to Mr. Sholes and his associates.
The patent is dated July 14, 1868, and is
granted to C. Latham Sholes, Carlos Glid-
den and Samuel W. Soule of Milwaukee.
Wis. The device is described as "a new
and useful improvement in typewriting ma-
chines." I quote from the application as
follows:
**Our invention relates to that class of
machines designed to write with types in-
stead of a pen, and the nature and principal
feature of our improvements consist of a
circular annular disk, provided with slots
and grooves to hold and guide the type
bars, a concentric groove around the peri-
phery of the disk, to hold, support and
guide the pivots of the type bars, the com-
bination of rods, levers and keys for work-
ing the type bars, a carriage combined and
provided with a pivotal pawl, arm and pins.
16 THE EARLY HISTORY
and attachments to move the paper verti-
cally and laterally, and the combination of
a rod and clamps, to hold the paper fast in
the carriage."
Then follows a detailed description of the
machine by reference to the drawings at-
tached thereto. This brief description,
however, is probably sufficient for our pur-
pose at this time. It will be noticed that
the device described contains the main prin-
ciples which are seen in all type-bar ma-
chines of the present day.
The gentleman who was present with Mr.
Sholes in his office on this occasion was
Mr. Carlos S. Glidden, who afterwards be-
came interested with Mr. Sholes in the
manufacture of the machine. I afterwards
met Mr. S. W. Soule, a practical machinist
of Milwaukee who was to have the imme-
diate oversight of its construction, and to
whom, as well as Mr. Glidden, Mr. Sholes
at a later date freely acknowledged his in-
debtedness for many valuable suggestions
in connection with the mechanical features
of the machine.
OF THE TYPEWRITER
17
The home of the first typewriter
18 THE EARLY HISTORY
A few days after this occasion the actual
construction of the machine was begun,
in a little shop in the
Home of First northern part of the city
Typewriter which was known as
Kleinsteuber's machine
shop.
1 had become greatly interested in the
invention from the first, realizing in a dim
way the important part that it was to per-
form in superseding the pen in all branches
of business, and especially in the line of
work for which I was preparing, as a short-
hand court reporter; and in order to dem-
onstrate its practical work Mr. Sholes
promised' me the first machine that would
leave the shop.
The construction of the first machine was
naturally a slow process, nearly all of its
p^rts being entirely new to the workmen,
and as each piece required to be made by
hand, it necessitated the most careful su-
pervision, especially the casting of the type
OF THE TYPEWRITER 19
bars and the cutting of the letters on them,
the slotting of the disk, the arrangement of
the basket in which the type bars would
rest, and the adjustment of the various de-
vices, most important of which was the
making and adjustment of the little steel
*'dog" with its escapement which controlled
the action of the paper carriage.
Each of these processes was watched
with almost breathless interest by the two
or three interested spectators who made
their daily pilgrimage of a mile or more to
the dingy little machine shop in which the
work was being carried on. I have been
using the word "machine" in this connec-
tion, because it was the only name by which
it was designated at that time. The adop-
tion of a suitable name, however, was be-
ing discussed at this time by Mr. Sholes
and his associates. "Printing machine" was
first suggested, but the name did not meet
with favor as describing the work it was
designed to accomplish. "Writing ma-
chine" was also suggested, but as the work
would be in printed letters the word "writ-
ing" seemed inapplicable. At length Mr.
20 THE EARLY HISTORY
Sholes suggested the name "typewriter."
This was subject to the same objection, and
there was some discussion as to whether
the name "printing machine'* was not a bet-
ter name after all, but "typewriter" was an
unusual name and had a unique sound, and
so it was finally adopted, and then for the
first time was heard a name, sounding odd-
ly enough at that time, but which has now
become so common throughout the civil-
ized world that we wonder that any other
name was thought of.
Our interest in the work became more
and more absorbing as it progressed, and
the various parts completed and assembled.
The keys were of black walnut, about three
inches long and a quarter of an inch wide,
with the letter of the alphabet to which it
was attached painted m white on each key
while between each key was a space suffi-
cient to insert shorter keys similar to the
black keys of the piano, which were used
for the figures and punctuation marks.
The figures ran from 2 to 9, the letter '*!"
being used for the first figure and **0" was
used for the cypher. Added to these were
OF THE TYPEWRITER 21
the semi-colon, the dollar mark, the hy-
phen, the period, the comma and interroga-
tion point, and a diagonal stroke which was
used for the parenthesis. The keys being
attached to the type bars and working in
unison with the carriage movement enabled
us for the first time to test the work of
printing words and sentences. We were
then in the midst of an exciting political
campaign, and it was then for the first time
that the well known sentence was inaugu-
rated, — "Now is the time for all good men
to come to the aid of the party;" also the
opening sentence of the Declaration of In-
dependence, "When in the course of human
events," etc., which sentences were repeat-
ed many times in order to test the speed of
the machine.
At about the time of the completion of
the first machine, in the late fall of 1867, I
removed from Milwaukee to St. Louis, at
which place Mr. Sholes in accordance with .
his promise shipped to me the first machine
that went out of the shop. It arrived in St.
Louis about the middle of January, 1868.
In the meantime I had become connected
22 THE EARLY HISTORY
with the shorthand firm of Walbridge &
Allen who were the only verbatim reporters
in the city at that time.
Note: Since the writing of this paper I have re-
ceived the following clipping from the St. Louis
Star, dated January 15th, 1918, which corroborates
the above statement as to the date of the shipment
of the first machine to St. Louis. This item appears
under the head of
"FIFTY YEARS AGO TODAY,"
and reads as follows : "At this time the first practi-
cal typewriter made its appearance in St. Louis. The
small item reads : 'A Printing Machine — We saw to-
day in the office of Messrs. Walbridge, Allen & Wel-
ler, phonographic reporters, a machine for printing,
which they use in transcribing their notes. It is the
invention of Hon. C. L. Sholes of Milwaukee, practi-
cal printer and prominent citizen. It is capable of
printing fifty words a minute, the impressions being
all in capital letters. Its principal advantage is in
producing legible copy, and will be a joy to printers
who now labor with the bad penmanship of writers."
This item is dated January 15, 1868,
which was more than five years before the
manufacture was turned over to the Rem-
ington Arms Co., Ilion, N. Y.
In the meantime Mr. Sholes with
the little means that he could ob-
tain had manufactured several machines
in the Kleinsteuber machine shop,
each embodying some new feature as
OF THE TYPEWRITER 23
the work progressed, which will be shown
in Mr. Sholes* letters which fortunately
have been preserved, and which will appear
later.
During the winter of 1868 shorthand re-
porting was in its infancy in St. Louis, es-
pecially as to its use in the court in report-
ing testimony. The lawyers looked with
suspicion on shorthand, which they consid-
ered very unreliable, probably by reason of
the crude work of novices with no skill or
experience in the work of court reporting,
and our efforts during that season were
principally confined to attempts to per-
suade lawyers to abandon their old method
of taking scraps of testimony in longhand,
and afterwards disputing with each other
as to just what the witness had stated, until
with the aid of the rough notes that the
judge had taken together with his recoUec-
ion of what was testified they were finally
able to patch up a bill of exceptions.
During the entire court season of that
year by much persuasion we succeeded in
securing the reporting of two and a half
cases in court. The "half case" which in-
24 THE EARLY HISTORY
volved some two hundred thousand dollars
had been running several days before they
would consent to have the balance of it re-
ported, and we probably wouldn't have se-
cured that case, were it not for the fact
that Mr. Allen, had studied and graduated
as an attorney at law in a Massachusetts
court before coming to St. Louis, and had
a somewhat intimate acquaintance with the
members of the St. Louis bar which was
considerable assistance to us in securing
work.
A funny little incident comes to my mind
right here, which illustrates another objec-
tion which we had to encounter in those
early days of shorthand, in connection with
the commercial end of it, and the horror
with which our rather modest charge was
regarded by the unfortunate clients who
were required to pay our bills. In this half
of a case our transcript was naturally quite
voluminous, involving as it did about three
days solid note-taking, and when Mr. Allen
presented our bill, duly certified by the at-
torney, to the dignified president of the cor-
poration, a gentleman of the old school, he
OF THE TYPEWRITER 25
studied it carefully from beginning to end,
including the instructions to pay it, signed
by his chosen attorney whose word was law
to him, then called his bookkeeper and di-
rected him to make out a check for the
amount, which was about $150, and after
signing the check and receiving the receipt-
ed bill he said to Mr. AUen with the utmost
gravity, "I would like to ask you one ques-
tion. Does anybody ever employ you gen-
tlemen more than once?"
In this condition of affairs we certainly
fared very poorly so far as the legal work
was concerned, but we were much more
fortunate with our newspaper work, which
was an important feature in those days,
when the winter course of lyceum lectures
and all meetings, whether political, profes-
sional or religious, were reported in full for
the Missouri Democrat, an evident misno-
mer for a Republican paper, which was the
leading morning daily in St. Louis, — now
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Added to
this newspaper work, however, was a long
impeachment trial of a circuit court judge
out in the state, which Mr. Walbridge had
26 THE EARLY HISTORY
reported during the previous year, and had
been holding his notes until the meeting of
the legislature, when the transcript was or-
dered by the state, and with that work we
put in the most of our time during the
winter.
OF THE TYPEWRITER 27
It was on that case that we had the op-
portunity of testing the practical working
of the first typewriter, and I am happy to
say that in spite of
Practical Work of crude workmanship in
First Machine some of its parts we
were able to do consid-
erable work with it. As the transcript was
prepared for the printer it did not require the
neat work that would have been demanded
in depositions and transcripts of testimony
and court proceedings.
One of the principal objections to the
use of the machine for depositions and
transcripts of court testimony was the fact
that in the construction of the first machine
it was thought necessary to use very thin
paper, and in order to get a satisfactory im-
pression that the type should first strike
the paper and get its impression through
the paper from the ink ribbon passing over
it, so that although the first typewriter was
a visible machine, it was made so from the
fact that it was thought that only in this
28 THE EARLY HISTORY
way could the work be done. Sometime
afterwards, however, when the roller took
the place of the flat paper frame it was
found that by putting the ink ribbon next to
the type instead of between the paper and
the platen a good impression could be ob-
tained on paper of any thickness, but in
doing so the visible feature had to be aban-
doned. When this was discovered Mr.
Sholes laughed over his own obtuseness
and that of his associates, that they should
have been so long in discovering this sim-
ple little change which made so much dif-
ference in the character of the work.
To those familiar with the modern type-
writer with all its latest improvements it
is indeed a wonder that a machine of the
crude construction that I have attempted
lo describe would do any kind of practical
work. It had no bearings of finely polished
steel in which each type bar could rest and
do its work properly. The type bars were
simply pieces of straight brass, with the
letters cut on the end, the type bar being
fastened in the slot by a large brass wire
set in a groove inside the circle of the disk.
OF THE TYPEWRITER 29
and as may well be imagined there was
more or less sticking of the type bar in the
slot, instead of quickly returning to its
place after being struck, and it was not an
uncommon thing to find a few type bars
bunched up in the center, which of course
stopped all operations until they could be
pried apart and gotten back into their
places preparatory to a fresh start.
Then, too, the clock-work motor was not
always equal to the occasion, and we would
have to increase its power by adding to the
leaden weight a jack knife or a paper
weight or a pair of shears or whatever
might be at hand for the purpose; this add-
ed weight was sometimes too great for the
cord, which would occasionally break, let-
ting the weight down with a crash, and in
such cases it was very necessary to keep
one's toes out of the way or suffer some
rather serious consequences.
The machine also had a habit of stutter-
ing, so to speak, occasioned by the sticking
of the type bar in the slot which I have
described, which was extremely annoying
when one was in a hurry. For instance,
30 THE EARLY HISTORY
when one started out on a sentence com-
mencing with the letter "T" in place of
the sentence we would have a long row of
T's, indicating that the T had stuck in the
slot, and the other letters were hammering
up against it in a vain attempt to do their
duty. Then again, at times the little steel
"dog" with its escapement working back
and forth in the ratchet which controlled
the movement of the paper frame would
fail to do its work properly, and the car-
riage would jump an inch or two, or per-
haps half a line, stopping with a sudden
jerk, which was calculated to make one
nervous, to say the least.
I have been describing the actions of the
machine in some of its worst moods. But
don't imagine for a moment that this was a
continuous affair. There were times when
everything worked beautifully, and the
speed that could be gotten out of it at such
times was something marvelous, especially
when we got onto that familiar sentence,
"Xow is the time for all good men to come
to the aid of the party." When we talk
about "greased lightning," why, it wasn't
OF THE TYPEWRITER 31
in it at all. I wont say but that our expert
typist, Mr. McGurrin here, if he had been
there with his little speed-dog and his hair-
trigger adjustment and was in a mood for
doing some of his stunts, might possibly
have beaten us just a trifle, but he would
have had to hump himself to do it.
^2 THE EARLY HISTORY
It may be interesting at this remote peri-
od to note the manner in which we pro-
cured and prepared our ink ribbons in
those primitive typewrit-
Primitive Type- er days, when one be-
writer Ribbon came worn out and use-
less. In those days we
couldn't telephone for a black, blue, or pur-
ple record or copying ribbon and a few
minutes later behold a messenger at the
door with a little tin box containing the
best up-to-date article wrapped in oiled pa-
per with an envelope of tin foil, and a reel
with which to attach it to the ribbon device.
No, indeed. On such occasions it became
necessary to visit the nearest dry goods
establishment and select a bolt of silk or
satin ribbon which was the only material
that we could find to answer the purpose,
and having purchased it, we would buy a
pint bottle of black ink and pour it into a
wash bowl, and after unrolling the bolt of
ribbon we would immerse it in the ink and
allow it to remain until it was thoroughly
OF THE TYPEWRITER 33
saturated, and then towards evening before
going home we would take it out of the ink
and string it back and forth over the chairs
and other furniture, and leave it to dry over
night. It was anything but a pleasant job,
and would hardly have been allowed in our
modern offices with their fine outfit of ma-
hogany furniture and Brussels rugs, but in
those days of rough, bare floors, box wood
stoves, sawdust cuspidors and Windsor
chairs and smoke-blackened walls such op-
erations could be carried on, as Mrs. Par-
tington would say, "with perfect impurity."
In the meantime Mr. Sholes and his as-
sociates were doing everything within their
power to further improve and perfect the
machine, and some time later I received a
letter from Mr. Sholes suggesting that I
send my machine back, to be replaced by
another containing the latest improve-
ments. This was done, and sometime aft-
erwards the perfected machine was re-
ceived, embodying a number of changes, in
the fall of 1870. This machine was a great
contrast, compared with the former one,
and so far different in its outside appear-
34 THE EARLY HISTORY
ance as to be hardly recognizable. The
machine varied but an inch or two in size
from the present typewriter, but the iron
frame instead of being open at the sides
was inclosed with thin wooden boards
handsomely polished, painted and var-
nished, which gave it a very neat and at-
tractive appearance.
I have many times wished, however, that
the first machine which was manufactured
under the patent of 1868 had been preserved
intact. It would have been a most interest-
ing and valuable relic as an exhibit in this
day, when typewriters are flooding all parts
of the civilized world; but the original ma-
chine together with several others which
were made during the experimental stage
of the work was undoubtedly broken up
and relegated to the scrap pile, except those
parts that could be worked into other ma-
chines.
It is somewhat amusing, however, h,
passing one of our elegantly appointed
typewriter salesrooms to find among the
latest up to date machines exhibited in the
plate glass show window a sorry looking
OF THE TYPEWRITER 35
old specimen that would appear to have
passed through fire and water, bearing in
prominent letters the legend "The First
Typewriter," knowing it to be a type of ma-
chine that was manufactured fully ten years
later than the one I have attempted to f-e-
scribe.
We also find here and there a person re
ferred to in the daily press as being the
one who operated the first typewriter.
A few years ago an article appeared ii.
the Sunday edition of the Chicago Tribune,
giving the name and residence of a geiuhj-
man in the east who was credited with the
distinction of having possessed and operat-
ed the first typewriter that was manufac-
tured sometime about the year 1878 A
statement was sent to the Tribune at
the time giving the facts briefly as to the
date on which the first typewriter wis c in-
structed and the name of its inventor,
which was omitted from the statement,
which the writer probably thought wasn't
worth mentioning. This correction was re-
turned to the writer with a polite note from
that reliable journal to the effect thai a rule
36 THE EARLY HISTORY
of the office prohibited the publication of
corrections of that character, which of
course settled the business, so far as that
journal was concerned, and in all probabil-
ity the gentleman, who happened to be a
man of some note, is still modestly wearing
his honors and enjoying the fame which
some enterprising writer had thrust upon
him.
Occasionally too, there are some of our
lady typewriter operators who are wont to
claim that distinction. Very lately a young
lady who had recently come to St. Louis
from Chicago claimed to have brought the
first machine from that city to St. Louis,
but inasmuch as the young lady couldn't
have been older than 20, and the first type-
writer was built fully twenty years before
she was born, the validity of her claim is
somewhat doubtful. Probably, if the truth
were known there is a lady in this audience
today who may rightly claim to have oper-
ated the first typewriter that was manufac-
tured, during the winter of 1868.
OF THE TYPEWRITER Z1
The second machine which was sent to
me in the fall of 1870 was, as I have stated,
so decidedly different from the first con-
struction that it will bear a de-
Improved scription as to some of its parts.
Machine .In the first place, the rude
of 1870 wooden keys contained in the
first machine were replaced by
metal rods with a thin brass button on
which the letter or figure was cut and paint-
ed black. The connecting wires instead of
running down to trivets near the floor ran
directly from the end of the key to the type
bar above, and instead of the plain slot in
the brass disk, which had given us so much
trouble in the first machine the type bars
were set in steel bearings, very much the
same as we see in the latest modern con-
struction. The carriage movement and pa-
per holding device was so widely divergent
from the first construction that it will re-
quire some explanation. Instead of the flat
paper frame there was a rubber roller,
which varied from the roller now in use,
38 THE EARLY HISTORY
being twice as large in circumference, and
instead of moving laterally from left to
right in printing the lines the roller moved
forward with each stroke of the key, in the
same way that it now moves in changing
the lines, while the line was changed by
the roller moving down the space of a line
on the rod after it had completed a revolu-
tion. In other words, the movement of the
roller in printing and changing the line was
exactly the reverse of the present construc-
tion. The paper was the same length as
the roller, and was curved around it lapping
over sufficiently to allow a margin, and se-
cured at the ends by steel clamps very
much like the ankle guards that a bicycle
rider uses today. Notwithstanding this pe-
culiar arrangement of the paper on the roll-
er the work accomplished was very satis-
factory and far superior to the flat paper
frame. Bear in mind that this was away
back in 1870, and during the three years
following while the construction was being
carried on under Mr. Sholes' direction oth-
er important changes were made, resulting
OF THE TYPEWRITER 39
in the paper passing under an ordinary
sized roller the same as is done today.
These various changes are mentioned in
the letters from Mr. Sholes which were re-
ceived by me between 1870 and 1873 which
fortunately have been preserved while the
earlier ones that were written between 1868
and 1870 were lost or destroyed, not realiz-
ing at the time their value in after years in
exhibiting the work of the first machine.
These letters were written in Mr. Sholes'
free and easy style, as an older man would
naturally write to a young friend.
Under date of April 21, 1870, he writes
as follows:
"Nil Desperandum'' — which, being liber-
ally interpreted, means 'don't despair.' Not-
withstanding I had the machine done some
time ago, I still continue to make valual)le
improvements * * * * I have now but one
spacing wheel, instead of two, as on your
machine. The weight is connected directly
with the printing shaft, without the inter-
vention of any pulley and belt. This ma-
chine runs thirty lines without winding. It
is so fixed also that I can make paragraphs
40 THE EARLY HISTORY
by merely touching a key, as in spacing the
letters. This is a very great improvement,
as you will readily understand. You had
better have an entirely new machine, as it
is scarcely worth while to work that over
with so few characters in it. I am in a hur-
ry, and must stop.
SHOLES."
MILWAINCCC. VISeOMSINi «»ftlL tit ISTO.
CHANLIC-'*-
HIL OIVPKRANOUM.— WHICH BCINC LIBKRALLV INTCRPMTtD« MUN«
OONT OCS»«l«. HOTWITHSTAHOINC I MAO THK MACHINC DONE SOMKTIMC
AOO. I VTICL CONTINUC TO MAKE VALUABLE IMPROVEMENTS. THI» MACH.
INC It CLEPHANE*. «HICH I HAVE MADE OVER TO THE NEW STYLE.
I HAVE NOW BUT ONE SPACING WHEEL. INSTEAD OF TWO. AS ON VO.
UR MACHINE. THE WEIGHT IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY WITH THE MINTING
SHAFT. WITHOUT THE INTBAVCNTION UF ANY PULLEY AND ■BkT. THIS
MACHINE RUNS THIRTY LINES WITHOUT WINDINC IT IS SO FIXED. ALSO
THAT I CAN MAKE PARAGRAPHS BY MERELY TOUCHING A KEY. AS IN SPACI
•m THE LETTERS. THIS IS A VERY GREAT IMPROVEMENT. AS VOV
WILL READILY UNDERSTAND. YOU HAD BETTER HAVE AN ENTIRELY NEW
MACHINE. AS IT IS SCARCELY WORTH WHILE TO WORK THAT OVER WITH
SO FEW CHARACTERS IN IT I AM IN A HURRY AND MUST STOP.
YOURS. ETC. SHOLES.
OF THE TYPEWRITER 41
Under date of July 30th, 1870, Mr. Sholes
writes as follows:
"Yours came to hand yesterday. I will
make one of the new machines for you. It
will be done before November. This is a
specimen of the manner in which it will
work; that is to say, a specimen of the
style of work. I think the machine is now
as perfect in its mechanism as I know how
to make it, or to have it made. It develops
no difficulities whatever. I think this has
not failed to space once since it has been
started — now a week, and I see no reason
to fear that it will fail to space in a year.
The belt has too much ink on it yet, but
that is not so bad as having too little. I
know of no respect in which I can improve
it.
The paragraphs are made by simply
touching a key, as in the case of spacing
the letters, and by bearing a little on the
key it operates as a brake, and keeps the
cylinder from shooting around too fast.
It is as easy to write or copy poetry on it
as prose.
42 THE EARLY HISTORY
The machine is done, and I want some
more worlds to conquer. Life will be most
flat, stale and unprofitable without some-
thing to invent."
Nevertheless, it would seem that the ma-
chine is not quite done yet, as he writes
under date of September 28, 1870, two
months later, as follows: (See pa^e 43.)
"I have made another most important
change in the machine, having dispensed
with the slotted disk altogether. My disk
now consists simply of a flat ring about
an inch broad and a quarter of an inch
thick, around which the hammers are hung,
each one on an independent journal of its
own. The top of the disk is, of course,
all open on the plan, and easily accessible
with a brush to clean the types, or the hand
to arrange anything that may be out of or-
der, and the hamliiers can never stick, as
they never touch anything but the little
steel journals on which they swing. The
ease and freedom and beauty with which
this machine works is truly wonderful. I
do not refer to the beauty of its print, but
the beauty of its working. The type are
OF THE TYPEWRITER 43
MILVAUMEEt WISCONSIN, SePTKMeCR 19, ISIO.
CHARLIE—-
I BEALL1 FOROET WHETHER I AnSWERGO »*UR LAST LETTER OR NOT.
I AM WORKINO NOW ON AN AVARA6E ABOUT SIXTEEN HOURS A OAV AND HAVE
NOT MUCH TIME TO 00 ANY THING ASIDE FROM tY REGULAR WORK, NOR IN>
OEEO TO RECOLLECT ANY THINO. YOU iNVITEOlME DOWN THERE BUT IT IS
aulTE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO OOME UNLESS I AbanOON EVERY THING HERE
I CAN SCAJteELY GET' AN HOUR'S LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM THE BOARD. MUG
-H LESS A OAT OR A WEEK. OENSMORC HAS ,fU8T 1ELE0RAPHE0 ME TO C
-OME IN AtL HASTE TO NEW YORK, BUT I CANNOT 00 UNLESS IT PROVES
TO BE FOR SONC THING IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT ME IN OUTTINO LOO
-8C FROM ALL MT PRESENT BUSINESS PURSUITS,
I AM ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU FURTHE^t OENSMORE. I
THINK, IS NEGOTIATING WITH SWEET IN NEW YiWK, WHO WANTS THE MACHi
NE IN C0N»«ECTION WITH HIS TELEGRAPH INTERESTS. WITH WHAT PROSREC
TS OF SUCCESS HE IS NEGOTIATING I 00 NOT KNOW, NOR 00 I KNOW WHET
-MCR IT IS IN THAT CONNECTION HE WANTS ME.
>. HAVE MADE ANOTHER MOTT IMPORTANT cAANOE IN THE MACHINE-- —
HAVING OlSKNaEO WITH THE SLOTTED 0I9C ALTOGETHER. MY 0I9C NOW
CONSISTS SIMPLY OF A FLAT RING ABOUT AN liCH BROAD AND A QUARTER
OF AN INCH T^ICK AROUND WHICH THE HAMMERS ARE HUNG EACH ONE ON AN
INOEPENDENT JOURNAL OF ITS OWN. THE TOP OF THE DISC IS OF COUPS
-E ALL OPEN IN THIS PLAN, AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE WITH A BAUSH TQ
CLEAN THE TYPES OR THE HAND TO ARRANGE ANY THING WHICH MAY BE OU
T OF ORDER. ANO THE HAMMERS CAN NEVER STICK AS THEY NEVER TOUCH
ANY THING BUT THE LITTLE STEEL JOURNALS ON WHICH THEY SWING. THE
EASE And freedom. ANO BEAUTY WITH WHICH THIS MACHINE WQRKS IS TRU
LY WONDERFUL. I OO NOT REFER TO THE BEAUTY OF ITS PRINT BUT THE
BEAUTY OF ITS WORKINO. THE TYPE ARE TOO LARGE. IT WAS A SETT I
HAD ON HAND, AND AND AS I WAS TRYING AN EXPERIMENT THE RESULT OF
WHICH I THOUGHT VERY DOUBTFUL I DID NOT WISH TO GET ANOTHER SETT.
I AM MYSELF SURPRISED AT THE RESULT OF THE EXPERIMENT. I NAD VE-
RY F INT HOPE OF ITS SlJ«iCeEDIN6, BUT THOUGHT IT POSSIBLE. BY CARE
FUL DUUSTINB OF EVERY HAMMER THAT IT MIGHT WORK. YOU CAN THERE-
FORE GUESS BOTH MY SURPRISE AND PLfASURF WHEN I FOUND THAT IT NEE
DEO NO ADJUSTING AT ALL THAT ON THE CONTRARY IT ADJUSTED ITSELF,
IT IS NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENT IN THE WORKINO Or THf
44 THE EARLY HISTORY
MACHlNCt BUT ITAN80 WONOCRFULO CHEA^CNO ANO »4Mm.lflCS THE WANU
fACTUfte. THE OltK CAN H0« BE CAST ANO NEEDS NOTHlNO ON THE LATHE
BUT TO HAVE THE FACE (MOOTHEO UP. THE HAMMERS CAN ALSO 8E CAST
OF TtK METAL A INASMUCH AS THEY TSUOM NOTHING WHATEVER IN ThEIR
WORKING ANO T»C9EF0RE THERE 18 NOTHING TO WEAR THEM OUT. m PLAN
18 TO CAST THE HAMMERS ANO AT THE BAME TIME CAST THE TYPE IN THEM
HAVING OF COURSE PREVIOUSLY PREPARED THE TYPE OF BRASS OR STEEL
ANO PLACED IT IN THE MOULD. IN THIS WAY THE TYPE AND HAMMER WIL
-L COME OUT OF THE MOULD READY TQ 00 INTO THE MACHINE WITHOUT fUR
THER PREfV^RATION. i THINK IT IS A VERY GREAT THING TQ riAVC
GOT RIO OF THE SLOTTED DISC. WHICH ALWAYS THREAUEN8 OR MANAQES 1^1
SOME WAY TO NOLO ON TO THE TYPE, OR SOME ONK OF THEM. IN THIS MA
-CHINE- THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE TYRE TO STICK IN. IF A TYPE PAU>
SES AT ALL IT MUST BE IN THE OPEN AIR, FOT THERE IS NOTHING ELSE
TO STOP IT. I EARNSSTLV HOPE WE SHALL SOON GfiT TO MANUFACTURIN
-G WITH A ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS. IN WHICH CASE wE SHALL KEEP
YPOU SUPPLIED WITH THE BEST, BUT I CANNOT THINK THAT ANY FURTH-
ER CHANflSS ARE P08SIBU TO ADVANTAGE. THE DISC WAS THE ONLY- THI-
NG LEFT WHICH I HAD NOT REVOLUTION! CD. THAT IB NOW SONS. WHICH
MAKES THE MACHINE COMPLETELY A NEW ONE COM P ARED WITH ITS ORIGINAL
CSNCEOTiON AND CONSTRUCTION. ALL OF ITS PARTS HAVE BEEN THE 8U8-
UECT OF MOST THOROUGH EXPERIMENT, AND I 00 NOT BELIEVE ANY OF THE
M CAN BE CHANGED TO ADVANTAGE. EVERY THING NOW. SEEMS TO ME AS
PERFECT AS IT CAN BE MAOEf ANO I FEEL NO INSPIRATION Tp ALTjlR ANY
THING FURTHER.
BUT LET ME HEAR FROM YOU. II M R 8 . A C , »
S H L K S .
OF THE TYPEWRITER 45
too large. It is a set I had on hand, and
as I was trying an experiment the result
of which I thought was doubtful, I did not
wish to get another set. I am myself sur-
prised at the result of the experiment. I
had very faint hopes of its succeeding, but
I thought it possible by careful adjusting
of every hammer that it might work. You
can therefore guess of my surprise and
pleasure when I found out that it needed
no adjusting at all; on the contrary, it ad-
justed itself ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ I think it a very
great thing to get rid of the slotted disk,
which always threatens or manages in some
way to hold on to the type or some one of
them. In this machine there is nothing for
the type to stick in. If a type pauses at all
it must be in the open air, as there is nothing
to stop it. I earnestly hope we shall soon
get to manufacturing with all these im-
provements * * * * Everything now seems
to me as perfect as it can be made, and I
feel no inspiration to alter anything furth-
er."
The next letter is dated March 14, 1871,
nearly six months later, from which it ap-
46 THE EARLY HISTORY
pears that our inventor has not lost all of
his inspiration, as his previous letter would
indicate, and still further improvements are
being made. I quote from the letter as
follows:
"I have now a machine on which I am
doing this work, which is an entirely dif-
ferent thing. It has not the same appear-
ance. The key board is not the same; the
disk is not the same; very little similarity
in any respect.
"I have been running this about two
months, and it seems to get better, rather
than otherwise. In all that time it has not
developed a single difficulty. In fact all
such thing as trouble or bother has ceased
to enter into the calculation. Densmore is
very sanguine of very valuable results
from the thing. Since this machine has
been running I am getting more hope in
the premises; but I must close on account
of press of other duties."
Of the association between Mr. Sholes
and Mr. Densmore who came upon the
scene for the first time in 1870, two years
after the manufacture of the first machine
OF THE TYPEWRITER 47
I can say little or nothing, except that I
remember about that time Mr. Densmore
came to St. Louis to see me and satisfy him-
self in regard to the practical work that had
been done on the machine and obtain a
testimonial from me in regard to its work.
I afterwards learned that he obtained from
Mr. Sholes a right to manufacture a ma-
chine under his patent for a stipulated sum.
and sometime afterwards I saw a card with
a cut of a machine that was manufactured
under the name of Densmore & Porter and
was being used in a commercial school in
Chicago, of which Mr. Porter was the
principal. The machine contained the same
features as the Sholes machines, except
that it dispensed with the long wires run-
ning from the keys to the bottom of the
table attached to the trivets and thence to
the type bars as previously described. I
understand that this machine was known
as the "cantilever" machine, and was oper-
ated by means of short stiff wires running
laterally with and soldered to the ends of
the keys and connected with the type bars
in such manner as to throw them up against
48 THE EARLY HISTORY
the paper as each key was struck. I am un-
able to describe the machine in detail,
never having seen it. The principal effect
of the change was to reduce the leverage
between the keys and the type bars several
inches and confine the movement to a space
of not more than two or three inches in
depth, which would seem to be an improve-
ment, but the machine did not prove a suc-
cess for the reason, as I understand, that
it was found that the wires were unable to
sustain the lateral strain, and would natur-
ally become bent out of shape, and for that
reason its manufacture was abandoned. In
the meantime, however, Mr. Sholes con-
tinued to manufacture his machines, and
the process of evolution was going on,
looking also towards reducing the size of
the machine and getting all its parts into
the shortest possible compass, which was
the result of the machine sent to me in the
fall of 1870, which I have already described.
I will close the reading of this correspond-
dence by reading the last letter in my pos-
session which was written in the spring of
1873, at the time that Mr. Sholes found
OF THE TYPEWRITER 49
himself compelled by lack of financial
means to abandon the control of the man-
ufacture of the machine and place it in
other hands.
Reading between the lines in this letter
we detect a vein of sadness, very much akin
to the feelings of a mother who is com-
pelled to abandon her child by placing it in
the hands of others who are better able to
nourish it and care for its future growth.
Under date of April 30, 1873, Mr. Sholes
writes as follows: (See page 50.)
"I presume not having heard of or from'
the machine for so long a time you have
about concluded that that machine does not
live, whatever may be the case with others.
But if I am right in that conjecture, you
would be entirely mistaken. It not only
lives, but apparently at present is in a most
vigorous condition. The kind of work it
will do you observe in this specimen, but
the amount of labor we have been com-
pelled to perform and the amount of mon-
ey to expend to get it into its present con-
dition of efficiency has been fearful to con-
template, and, I might add, the number of
50 THE EARLY HISTORY
MlLWAUHCe, WIS. APRIL 30. 10 73.
fPlCNO Cha«i.ie:
IN CONVCRSAr.lON TO-NIOHT. WITH
ALFRED, I LEARNED T^AT YOU STILL LIVED. AND HE:=«fc
GAVE ME ONE OF YOUR CARDS. BY WHICH I HOT DULY
LEARNED THAT YOU STILL LIVED, BUT THAT YOU LI-
VED AT ST. LOUIS. IN YOUR RE8ULAR BUSINESS OF PHO
-TO — 'NO, PHONOGRAPH INO. I PRESUME, NOT HAVING
HEARD OF NOR FROM JHE MACH INB FOR SO LONG A TIME
YOU HAVE ABOUT CONCLUDED THAT THAT DOES NOT LIVE
WHATEVER MAY BE THE CASE WITH OTHERS. BUT IF I
AM RIBHT IN THAT CONJECTURE, YCO WOULD BE ENTIRE-
LY MISTAKEN. IT NOT ONLY LIVES. BUT APPARENTLY
AT PRESENT, IN A MOST VIGOROUS COND.ITION. THE
NINO OF WORK IT WILL DO, YOU OBSERVE IN THIS SPE-
CIMEN, BUT THE AMOUNT OF LABOR WE HAVE BEEN COM-
PELLED TO PERFORM AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO EX-.
PENS, TO GET IT INTO ITS PRESENT CONDITION OF- EF-
FICIENCY. HAS BEEN FEAROUL TO CONTCMPLASE. AND
I MIGHT ADO, THE NUMBER OF MORTIFYING FAILURES
WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED, WHEN WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE
tHiNO CNTIRElY COMPLETED IN GOOD SHAPE, HAVE BEE
-N ENTIRELO TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION.
BUT WE FEEL THAT. WE HAVE GOT OUT OF T»fE
VrOODS AT LAST. THE MACHINE IS NO SUCH THING AS
IT WAS, WHEN YOU LAST SAW IT. IN FACT YOU WOULD
NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS THE SAME THING AT ALL. I SC-
ARCELY KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT; AND I PRESUME IT
IS NOT NECESSARY « SHOULD, MAKE THE ATTEMPT. IT
19 NOW. WHAT WE CALL THE "CONTINUOUS ROLL* •
MACHINE, 80 CALLED. BECAUSE IT WAS MADE ORIOINAL-
t.V TO ACCOMMODATE THE AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH CO*frANY
PY pniNriHO FROM A CONTINUOUS ROLL OF PAPER;
^uAt l«^. ^APER OF ANY LENGTH. THIS ALTERES THE
V .0| T CHAttACrtR OF THE MACHINE, AND WE FOUND AF-
-r^ IT ^'i'^ ALTLRED THAT THA STYLE ACCOMMODATED AL
• v^^^1«^ PF. TTER THAN THE OLO 8TYUE, ANO SO WE
^,.t K^ ^(Cnr OF THE HINO THAT WK MADE WHtU YOO
OF THE TYPEWRITER 51
WERC INTCRCSTED IN IT. IT IS SMALLER, HANDIER.
NEATER, MORE CONVENIENT, WILL 00 ALMOST EVERY POS
BIBLE KINO or WORK. THAN rT WAS OR WOULD 00 IN
ITS OLO'rORM.
A CONTRACT HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE IL-
IQN ARMS MANUFACTORY OP THE REMINGTON'S AT ILION.
NEW YORK, FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A THOUSAND MA-
CHINES. WHICH ARE NOW IN PROCESS AND PROGRESS 'OF
CONSTRUCTION. WE ARE MUCH ENCOURAGED WITH TH€
PR05PCCT OF THE VALUE OF THE THING IN VIEW OF ITS
UTILITY.
I HAVE NOTHINe PARTICULAR TO SAY. AND
YOU WILL OBSERVE I HAVE SAID IT. 1 TRUST T+1IS
iWAv ^rnro yoo wclw. yours.
C. L. S H L E S.
mortifying failures we have encountered
when we thought we had the thing entirely
completed have been entirely too numerous
to mention.
But we feel that we have got out of the
woods at last. The machine is no such
thing as it was when you last saw it. In
fact you would not recognize it as the same
thing at all. I scarcely know how to de-
scribe it, and I presume it is not necessary
that I should make the attempt. It is now
what we call the continuous roll machine.
52 THE EARLY HISTORY
so-called because it was originally made to
acconiniodate the Automatic Telegraph
Company, by printing from a continuous
roll of paper; that is, paper of any length.
This alters the whole character of the ma-
chijic, and we found after it was altered
that the style accommodated all wants bet-
ter than the old style, and so we made no
more of the kind that we made when you
were interested in it. It is smaller, handier,
neater, more convenient, will do almost
every possible kind of work than it was or
would be in its old form.
A contract has been made with the Ilion
Arms Manufactory, or the Remingtons, at
Ilion, N. Y., for the manufacture of a thous-
and machines, which are now in process
or pr»)j.j:rcss of construction.
"1 have nothing particular to say, and
you will observe that I have said it."
This last letter, as you will observe by an
inspection of the original, is a fair specimen
of the work that was done on the machine
for some time after it passed into the hands
of the Remington company, the work being
in capital letters the same as the other ma-
OF THE TYPEWRITER 53
chines up to that time. The most import-
ant improvement by which the lower and
upper case letters were produced by means
of the present shifting apparatus was not
conceived until some time later.
54 THE EARLY HISTORY
Notwithstanding the vast improvements
that have been made in the mechanical
movement and superior workmanship, and
the many little ingeni-
Oiiginal Features ous devices which have
In Present been added, and char-
Machines acterize the typewriter
of the present day, still
we find that the main features which con-
stituted the invention are the same now as
those contained in the first typewriter,
which consists of the circular disk or metal
ring around which are hung the type bars,
each striking at a common center, the rib-
bon movement and movement of the pa-
per carriage connected with the keys by the
universal bar, the spring motor which was
substituted by Mr. Sholes in place of the
::wkward clock work movement with the
weight, which was a troublesome feature of
the first machine, and although the change
in this feature is not referred to in the let-
ters which have been preserved, it was done
away with in the machine that was sent to
OF THE TYPEWRITER 55
me during the fall of 1870. This change,
however, was purely mechanical, and was
naturally suggested by the evolution of the
clock from the weight to the spring motor.
All of these features were the result of much
study and experiment on the part of Mr.
Sholes and his associates during the five
years that intervened before turning over the
manufacture of the machine to the factory at
Ilion. The real invention, however, con-
sists in the circular metal ring or disk, with
the type bars striking at a common center
which is found today in all type bar ma-
chines. I may add also, that since the man-
ufacture of the machine passed out of Mr.
Sholes* personal supervision he still con-
tinued to work on improvements up to the
day of his death in 1890, giving the bene-
fit of his work to the company to whom he
had turned over the manufacture in 1873.
56 THE EARLY HISTORY
The discouraging feature connected with
the manufacture of the first machines, and
which it seemed impossible to overcome,
was the crude workman-
Discouraging ship which tended to im-
Features pede the action of the ma-
chine, which required
smooth and certain movement of its most
delicate parts. The workmen in the little
machine shop did the best they could with
the imperfect appliances at hand; but it
was like trying to make a watch in a black-
smith shop, and it was only after repeated
and heroic efforts to overcome these ob-
stacles that Mr. Sholes was compelled to
relinquish personal control of its manufac-
ture and place it with the Remington com-
pany at Ilion, N. Y., as stated in his last
letter. Previous to this he had expended
with the aid of his financial backers large
sums of money in an endeavor to perfect
his invention to the extent of producing a
thoroughly reliable working machine that
would find favor with the public, in which
JF THE TYPEWRITER 57
effort I am told that he expended all of his
private funds, even to the sacrifice of his
little home in order to raise the necessary
means for the attainment of that end. Fail-
ing in that endeavor he made a contract
with the Remington Arms Company, where
skilled workmen were employed with all
the appliances at hand for working in steel
in the manufacture of their fire arms.
It was these defects that compelled us to
abandon the use of the first machine in our
regular work. The second machine that
was sent to me in the fall of 1870 although
a great improvement on the first one and
very well adapted to correspondence and
ordinary light work was still subject to
impediments and stoppages necessitating
more or less delay in repairing and remedy-
ing the difficulties, and as time was an im-
portant element with us we were compelled
to return to the old method of preparing
our transcripts.
This is all that can be said, so far as the
writer's personal recollections are con-
cerned, as to the early history of the type-
writer. A most interesting volume could
58 THE EARLY HISTORY
have been written by those who at the time
had full knowledge of all the details con-
nected with the many experiments that
were tried and abandoned from time to
time, and the numerous disappointments
that resulted from the efforts that were
made to surmount the obstacles that arose
here and there, standing in the way of the
manufacture of an absolutely reliable ma-
chine that could be passed into the hands of
the ordinary operator and used for months
without a hitch or break of some kind, oc-
casioning vexatious delays, which naturally
militated against the use of the machine,
and 1 may say here that it was nearly ten
years after the work was undertaken in an
establishment where the most skilful me-
chanics were employed with all the neces-
sary appliances for accomplishing the finest
work in steel, that a machine was manufac-
tured that was entirely devoid of the de-
fects, which stood in the way of its general
use.
OF THE TYPEWRITER 59
In this connection it is proper that some-
thing should be said of the life and char-
acter of the man whose inventive genius
has lightened the labors of
Personal shorthand reporters and ma-
Notes terially lengthened their lives.
Speaking for myself, I have no
doubt but that without the valuable aid of
the typewriter I would have been laid on
the shelf, so to speak, years ago, a sufferer
from writer's cramp or some other affliction
superinduced by overwork, and I have no
doubt that many others of our profession
can bear testimony to the same effect.
With those who were so fortunate as to
know Mr. Sholes during his life, the ac-
quaintance was one which carried with it
the most pleasing recollections. Old resi-
dents of Milwaukee will remember his ap-
pearance on the street, his tall slender fig-
ure, his long flowing hair and his remark-
ably clear bright eyes, with that far-away
look in them peculiar to men of his genius.
His genial nature is reflected to some ex-
60 THE EARLY HISTORY
tent in the few extracts that have been read
from his letters. He was a devotee of the
royal game of chess, and never so happy as
when seated at the board opposite an op-
ponent worthy of his steel. A quiet vein
of humor ran through his ordinary conver-
sation, and he would frequently quote pas-
sages from the poets, paraphrasing them in
a grotesque style which was calculated to
cause those worthies to rise up in righteous
indignation at the unwonted liberty that
had been taken with their lines, but
nevertheless intensely amusing. He was
also an inveterate punster. The pun crept
into his ordinary conversation in the most
natural way and he was never guilty of
carefully paving the way for a choicely pre-
served specimen of that character which is
a most exasperating feature of some of
our would-be wits.
As an illustration of his happy facility in
that line, a friend at one time accompanied
him to his modest home, which was lighted
with kerosene lamps, which was the bane
of all good housekeepers in those days, and
upon entering the front door he beheld a
OF THE TYPEWRITER 61
large grease spot on the hall carpet caused
by the dripping from a hanging lamp.
Raising his eyes to the ceiling he broke out
with Byron's well known apostrophe,
**Ye isles of Greece, ye isles of Greece,
Where burning Sappho loved and sang."
In the midst of a game of chess, seeing a
check-mate loom up in the distance he
would hurl defiance with Goldsmith's coup-
let, embellished in rustic style,
"E'en though that cloud were thunder's
wust,
And charged to squash him, let it bust."
A man of most gentle and modest de-
meanor, he was not lacking in moral cour-
age when occasion required it. At one
time during the civil war we were lunching
at a restaurant at the capital of Wisconsin.
The restaurant was fitted up with small
booths in which patrons could enjoy their
meals in semi-privacy. As we were waiting
for our order two officers of the union army
passed us and sat down in the adjoining
compartment, when one remarked to the
other "That's the fellow who wrote us up
in his paper and said we ran like white cats
62 THE EARLY HISTORY
at Wilson's Creek." The remark was made
in a low tone, and might have been passed
by with one less sensitive of personal criti-
cism, but Mr. Sholes' quick ear caught it,
and rising at once he appeared at the en-
trance of the booth with the question "Are
you alluding to me, sir?" The officer was
naturally taken aback with the sudden ap-
pearance of the tall form, and the question
propounded in the most quiet even tone,
and somewhat defiantly replied, "Well,
you are the editor of that paper, and I sup-
pose you are responsible for its state-
ments." Mr. Sholes replied, "You are very
much mistaken sir. I had nothing to do
with the publication of thz.t statement, and
if I had seen it in time it never would have
been published. I have too much regard
for the boys who are fighting our battles
while we are enjoying the comforts of our
homes to allow them to be slandered in the
public press." The explanation was made
in such a manly wa}'^ and with such evident
sincerity that it called forth a most profuse
apology, and after a few pleasant remarks
OF THE TYPEWRITER 63
in which Mr. Sholes expressed his regret
that his age prevented him from serving in
the field in defense of his country, the two
separated the best of friends.
I have noted with some anoyance state-
ments which have been made lately in art-
icles written in connection with the inven-
tion of the typewriter to the effect that
'*C. L. Sholes who assisted in perfecting the
typewriter was a mechanic by trade." A
short time ago a friend sent me a clipping
from a southern paper in which an old
gentleman in his 94th year was claiming the
distinction of being the original inventor of
the typewriter, having given his design to
*'a mechanic named Shoals who developed
the first Remington machine." Another
mention has been made still more recently
which spoke of "a crude model of a ma-
chine invented by Sholes and Glidden, two
mechanics of Milwaukee," a term which
cannot be strictly applied to either of those
gentlemen, and while undoubtedly Mr.
Sholes with his democratic ideas would
have felt honored in being placed in that
catagory if such was the fact, I take the
64 THE EARLY HISTORY
liberty of copying the following brief sketch
which appears in "The National Cyclopedia
of American Biography" published some
10 or 12 years ago:
"Christopher Latham Sholes, inventor,
was born in Columbia county, Penn., Feb-
ruary 14, 1819. His ancestors were New
Englanders and served with distinction in
the Revolutionary army. His grandfather
on the maternal side was a lineal descend-
ant of John Alden.
"At the age of fourteen young Sholes was
apprenticed to the editor of the Intelligen-
cer, Danville, Pa., to learn the printing
trade, but at the age of 18 determined to
join his brother, then living in Green Bay,
Wis. A year later, when but 19 years of
age he took charge of the House Journal of
the Territorial Legislature and carried it
to Philadelphia, a long journey at that time,
to be printed. At the age of 20 he went to
Madison, and took charge of the Wisconsin
Inquirer, owned by his brother Charles, and
in 1840 at the age of 21, edited the South-
port, afterwards Kenosha Telegraph, and
four years later became the postmaster, re-
OF THE TYPEWRITER 65
ceiving his appointment from President
Polk. Later, during his residence in Mil-
waukee he was postmaster of that city, and
still later was appointed to the position of
Commissioner of Public Works, and Col-
lector of Customs. He was for a long time
editor of the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel
and the News.
"It was while he was Collector of Cus-
toms in 1866 that he became interested with
an old friend named Soule in the making
of a machine for consecutive numbering,
especially on bank notes and pages of blank
books, at which time his attention was di-
rected to an article published in an English
journal regarding writing by a mechanical
device, by John Pratt.
"With a quick intuition he saw the possi-
bilities of a revolution of the handling of
the pen. From that moment he devoted
his whole time and thought to the idea
which has given to the world the type-
writer.
"This wonderful creation is the result of
his inventive genius. In 1867 the first crude
instrument was made, and in 1873 the in-
66 THE EARLY HISTORY
vention was so far perfected as to warrant
the production of machines on a large
scale. The world has felt the benefit. For
a long time the financial returns were small
and Mr. Sholes who was to receive a royal-
ty on each machine, disposed of his right
for a comparatively small sum. Later he
invented several improvements, which,
with an excess of conscience characteristic
of the man, he gave to the persons in con-
trol of the manufacture.
"In addition to his inventive powers, Mr.
Sholes did much as an editor and politician.
He witnessed the evolution of the state of
Wisconsin from its wild beginnings, and
contributed no small share in shaping the
laws that were necessary to set the new
state government in successful motion. He
served in the state Senate in 1848-9 from
Racine County, and in 1852-3 represented
Kenosha County, in the legislature. In
1856-7 he was state senator, being presi-
dent pro tem for more than a year.
"He was a man of such generous sympa-
thies that he naturally took to the side of
the minority. His innate abhorance of
OF THE TYPEWRITER 67
wrong and cruelty made him an abolition-
ist, and he was one of the most active
founders of the Republican party in the
State. He disliked the details of business,
and the painstaking necessary to make
money was his particular aversion. He
was a man of excessive tenderness of con-
science, viewed from the usual business
point of view. It was because of this that
he did not reap the pecuniary reward of his
invention of the first typewriting machine.
He lived to see the work of his genius ac-
cepted throughout the world, and hear the
pleasing compliment rendered him, that he
was "the father of the typewriter."
68 THE EARLY HISTORY
There is one notable circumstance con-
nected with Mr. Sholes' public life which
is not referred to in this brief biography,
but which deserves
An Incorruptible mention in this con-
Legislator nection, as illustrat-
ing his sterling hon-
esty and integrity, and his high ideal
of the duty of a representative to-
wards his constituents while acting in that
capacity. I refer to it with some hesitancy,
for the reason that it seriously involves the
character and reputation of certain men
who had hitherto stood very high in the
State of Wisconsin, and while my memory
may be at fault as to the minor details of
the transaction, the main facts are matters
of history, which cannot be successfully
controverted.
Away back in the early 50's, when the
railroads were pushing their way into the
new State, a scheme was concocted in con-
nection with the building of a railroad from
Milwaukee to LaCrosse, which was to give
OF THE TYPEWRITER 69
the promoters certain valuable lands along
the right of way through the State of Wis-
consin. In order to carry out this scheme
it was necessary to obtain authority from
the State Legislature, and a bill was framed
embodying the necessary legislation, which
was introduced during the session, and was
afterwards known as the LaCrosse Land
Grant. The measure was what is common-
ly termed a "steal", and the promoters well
knew that it could not be carried through
in the ordinary way. In order to facilitate
its passage a series of bonds were issued
secured by this land, which was exceeding-
ly valuable. The bonds were in denomin-
ations of five thousand dollars each, and
were intended for distribution among the
members of the legislature with the pur-
pose of influencing their votes in favor of
the bill. These bonds were quietly passed
around among the members by an agent
of the syndicate, and accepted, with the
usual result, and the bill was passed and
signed by the governor, and thus became
a law. It was one of the worst cases of
wholesale bribery ever known in the his-
70 THE EARLY HISTORY
tory of legislation, involving, as it did, not
only the members of the Legislature, but
the governor himself, who received a large
share of the bonds.
The facts in connection with this dis-
graceful proceeding came to light some two
or three years afterwards in a legislative
investigation, and revealed the fact that
but one man in the entire assembly refused
the bribe, and his name stands out in the
history of the State of Wisconsin as a
bright particular star, where all else is dark.
The name of that man is C. Latham
Sholes. He indignantly spurned the bribe,
while others accepted it, and with it in
some cases laid the foundation of what in
those days would be termed a fortune.
Mr. Sholes returned to his contituents as
poor in purse as when he left them, biit he
preserved his purity and integrity, and sa-
credly kept inviolate the oath which he had
taken when he entered the halls of legis-
lation as a servant of the public.
Throughout his pure, blameless life he
cared nothing for money, except as a means
of providing for the simple wants of his
OF THE TYPEWRITER 71
family and himself. He once remarked to a
friend in his facetious way that he had been
trying all his life to escape from being a
millionaire, and thought he had succeeded
admirably in that regard.
The life of Christopher Latham Sholes,
regarded from the coarse and sordid stand-
point of the business world would not be
pronounced a success, but viewed from the
higher and nobler standard by which all
human lives are measured in the eternal
years of God, his life was a grand and
glorious success, far exceeding all the ma-
terial wealth which has been produced in
this age of multimillionaires, in that he de-
voted his God-given genius, not for selfish
gain, not for his own enrichment at the ex-
pense of others, but for the benefit of man-
kind, and for the welfare and happiness of
future generations.
APPENDIX
Extract from the Proceedings of the
18th Annual Convention of the
National Shorthand Reporters'
Association.
Photograph of Burial Lot of the In-
ventor of the Typewriter.
Photographs of Models of the First
Typewriter on which the Patent
was granted July 14th, 1868.
Resolutions Adopted at the 19th An-
nual Convention at Cleveland,
Creating the Sholes Monument
Commission.
APPENDIX
Extract from the Annual Proceedings of
the National Shorthand Reporters' Associ-
ation at Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 16, 1916.
Secretary Weller:
I have a matter here which I think will
interest our members and I promise to be
very brief, and not encroach upon the regu-
lar order this afternoon.
During our 10th annual convention which
was held in Milwaukee in 1908 a number of
our members took occasion to visit a little
machine shop in the northern part of the
city in which was constructed the first
typewriter during the summer and fall of
1867. .1
They failed, however, to visit another
spot, no less interesting and replete with
sacred memories of the man whose inven-
tive genius must always link his name in
the enduring chain of great inventors of
the nineteenth century.
In Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee,
surrounded by the many magnificent and
imposing monuments which distinguish
75
76
THE EARLY HISTORY
OF THE TYPEWRITER 11
that beautiful city of the dead, is a name-
less grave, with nothing to note the spot,
save the simple corner lot markers which
are found on every burial lot,placed there by
the cemetery authorities to mark the bound-
dary line that separates it from other lots.
Probably no person, except the few de-
scendents of the family would think of tak-
ing the trouble to search out this modest
grave; and yet beneath the sunken mound
are the bones of one whose inventive gen-
ius gave to the world that wonderful mech-
anism known as the typewriter.
It was his brain that conceived the main
features of an invention which has light-
ened the labor and added to the comfort
and happiness of countless thousands of
young men and women who are today earn-
ing an independent livelihood in fields of
usefulness created by this invention — fields
of labor far exceeding tlie most sanguine
expectation of the patient inventor who
was struggling to produce a mechanism
which has today found its way into every
part of the civilized globe.
Crude and cumbrous as was the first at-
tempt at reducing to a practical working
model the product of his brain, neverthe-
less the main principle of the invention was
there, and it did its work, despite the many
handicaps that developed during its con
78 THE EARLY HISTORY
struction in the little workshop that gave it
birth.
The inventor not only conceived the
main principles of the invention, but at the
same time christened it, by giving it a name,
which sounded oddly enough at the time,
but has since become a household word
throughout the world, — '*The Typewriter."
He perfected his invention so far as pos-
sible with the rude machinery in the hands
of workmen unskilled in the manufacture
of its most delicate parts, and patiently la-
bored in an effort to construct a machine
that would accomplish the work and meet
with favor with the public, aided in the
first place by the pecuniary assistance of a
friend whose interest was enlisted to the
extent of furnishing the necessary funds for
the first trial of the invention, and after-
wards practically sacrificing his own mod-
est home in order to procure further funds
for carrying on the work, until he was com-
pelled to turn it over to a factory in the
east, whose fine work in steel finally
brought it to a marketable stage, after
which he still continued the work of per-
fecting some of its most intricate parts,
propped up in his bed during the last stages
of a lingering illness, never ceasing his
work, up to the time of his death.
Such, in brief, is the story of the man and
his work.
OF THE TYPEWRITER 79
He died a poor man, so far as the world's
wealth is concerned. He left a heritage
that has been the making of millionaires
and has blessed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of toilers in the world's work.
It has been to me a matter of great regret
that I was unable to preserve the first
typewriter which was sent out of the shop
and shipped to St. Louis in the winter of
1867-8, but which was soon afterwards re-
called by the inventor to be replaced by an-
other machine with various mechai.'cal im-
provements, and it was not until two years
ago that I learned that the original model
upon which the patent was granted in July
1868, was still in existence, and in passinq:
through Washington on my way to our At-
lantic City convention in 1914, I arranged
to have the model removed from the ware-
house and unpacked for inspection, and
having secured the services of a Washing-
ton photographer we succeeded in procur-
ing two excellent views of the machine,
which are here offered for your inspection.
Cut number one is a side view showing
the keyboard with connecting wires run-
ning down, and fastened to trivets, with
wires connected at the other end of the tri-
vets, and from thence running up to the
machine and connected with the type bars.
It also shows the clock work mechanism
with weight attached, which was after
wards replaced by the spring motor.
80 THE EARLY HISTORY
Cut No. 1.
OF THE TYPEWRITER
81
"Hfimmmm
This is a top view, showing the brass
disk, slotted and connected with the type
bars, also the platen, consisting of a metal
bar rigidly fastened to the frame of the ma-
chine, and extending to the center of the
aperture in the disk with sufficient surface
for each letter to strike at a common center;
also showing the flat paper frame moving
82 THE EARLY HISTORY
beneath the ribbon and platen, the paper
being clamped at each corner of the
frame. The ribbon movement apparatus
having been lost or mislaid is not shown on
the model. It consisted of spools fastened
on each side of the frame, attached to the
carriage movement in such manner as to
move and present a fresh surface with each
stroke of the key, and automatically revers-
ing when the end of the ribbon was reached.
Shortly after returning from the Atlantic
City convention I wrote to the director of
the Smithsonian Institute at Washington,
suggesting that they obtain possession of
the model which was then lying exposed in
the basement of the Patent Office building,
and liable to injury, and received in reply
a note from the director with thanks for
the information, and promising to take the
matter up with the Interior Department,
with the view to securing the model, and I
trust that it is now safely reposing with
other valuable relics in the Institute.
Now, recurring to that nameless grave,
we old men are in the habit sometimes of
dreaming dreams and seeing visions, and I
think I see a vision in the not far distant
future when above those sacred remains
will arise a beautiful monument of marble,
in which is set a bronze tablet, bearing in
base relief the strong features of a man of
OF THE TYPEWRITER 83
the type of Elias Howe of sewing machine
fame, with the inscription
''CHRISTOPHER LATHAM SHOLES.
The Father of the Typewriter."
"Erected by the National Shorthand Reporters'
Association, aided by the free will offerings of thou-
sands of men and women in grateful memory of the
man whose genius has lightened labor and brought
comfort and nappiness to millions of toilers in the
world's work."
I am not making a motion, but simply
oflFering a suggestion which may or may
not be deemed worthy of consideration by
the Association. A plan that I am about
to suggest will not take a dollar out of the
treasury of the National Association. The
undertaking would lose all of its charm
and grace, were it not accomplished by the
free will offerings of the many thousands
of young men and girls who are today
earning their living in the new field of la-
bor which had its origin in the brain of
this remarkable man.
>(C >(C >(C 9|C ]|( 9|C
It is eminently proper that the short-
hand profession through its national or-
ganization should take the lead in this
work, inasmuch as the first man who made
a practical test of its efficiency was a short-
hand court reporter, and when the agents
started out with the perfected typewriter and
84 THE EARLY HISTORY
endeavored to get it into the market their
first and strongest friends were the short-
hand reporters, and it was mainly through
their recommendation and influence that
they were able to make sales of their ma-
chines.
Is there a man or a woman who is now
or ever has been employed as a court re-
porter or commercial stenographer who
would not be willing to contribute 25, 50
cents or a dollar to such a fund? Is there
a member of this Association who would
not do the same, when the matter is prop-
erly presented with a brief history of the
man whose memory we seek to honor?
I would suggest the appointment of a
body to be known as "The C. Latham
Sholes Monument Association," the mem-
bers to be selected by the President of the
Association, with authority to appoint
agents to solicit contributions to a fund,
to be kept separate and apart from the
funds of this Association, to be devoted
to the purpose for which it is created.
9|C 9|C 3|( 9|C 9|C 9|C
There is no commercialism in this prop-
osition. The typewriter of 1867 stands in
a class by itself. It is unique, in that it
had no competitor, with no dream of co-
lossal wealth in the mind of the inventor,
whose sole aim and effort was the construc-
tion of a machine that would lighten the
OF THE TYPEWRITER 85
labor of the toiler and inure to the benefit
and happiness of mankind.
On motion of Mr. Farnell, duly seconded
the matter was referred to the Executive
Committee.
At the Nineteenth annual convention
which met in Cleveland on August 13, 1917,
the following proceedings were had:
Mr. William L. James, of Chicago:
Mr. President, I have a very important
resolution in my pocket. I was just dis-
cussing it Y'ith Mr. Taylor here for the
moment, and might I present it now?
It is just ninety-eight years ago since one
of the greatest benefactors of shorthand
in the world was born, a man who should
take a place almost as elevated as that oc-
cupied by Isaac Pitman, in our esteem.
He lies buried in an unmarked grave.
Every day we live, every day we work
and every dollar that we earn should re-
mind us of our debt of gratitude to this
man.
I refer to C. Latham Sholes, the inven-
tor of the typewriter.
The resolution which I propose to offer
does not involve the expenditure of any
of the money of this Association. It in-
86 THE EARLY HISTORY
volves the appointment of a committee to
collect voluntary subscriptions to erect a
suitable monument at the grave of C. La-
tham Sholes.
It will be a hundred years in 1919 since
he was born.
He is buried in Milwaukee. There is, so
far as I know, but one member of our As-
sociation who knew him. That member
is well along in years.
In the proceedings of our 1908 conven-
tion there appears a rather exhaustive pa-
per describing the work of Mr. Sholes in
the invention and perfection of the type-
writer, a paper that I have read many
times, because of its great value to short-
hand writers.
Here is my resolution:
Whereas, at our last annual convention
it was suggested that a suitable monument
be erected under the auspices of the Na-
tional Shorthand Reporters' Association,
over the unmarked grave of Christopher
Latham Sholes, the inventor of the type-
writer; and
Whereas, the members of this Associa-
tion realize that they in company with
many hundreds of thousands of people in
this country and elsewhere owe a debt of
gratitude to the man whose genius gave
OF THE TYPEWRITER 87
birth to the first practical typewriter, which
has since proved a valuable adjunct in af-
fording them a means of earning a liveli-
hood,
Therefore, Be it resolved, that the incom-
mg president of this Association be author-
ized to appoint a Committee of not less
than three nor more than five, who shall
be empowered to select such persons as
in their judgment may be best qualified to
assist them in devising and putting into
execution proper methods for soliciting
small contributions for the purpose of de-
fraying the cost of such monument, to be
erected during the year 1919, which is the
hundredth anniversary of the birth of the
inventor; it being distinctly understood
that the appointment of such committee
carries with it no obligation on the part of
this Association to assist in such undertak-
ing financiallv or to contribute to such
fund by the payment of money out of its
treasury.
I move the adoption of the resolution.
Mr. James' motion being seconded was
unanimously carried.
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